Electrical recombination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914283-B2
Application number	US-201716301654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2016
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to configurations of power conversion systems for wind turbine generators. For example, certain aspects are directed to a multi-rotor wind turbine. The multi-rotor wind turbine generally includes a plurality of rotors, each coupled to a plurality of electrical generators, one or more machine-side converters, MSCs, coupled to the electrical generators of each of the plurality of rotors and configured to generate at least one direct-current, DC, signal, and one or more line-side converters, LSCs, coupled to the MSCs and configured to generate at least one AC signal based on the at least one DC signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-rotor wind turbine, comprising:
a plurality of rotors each having at least one blade mounted thereon, each of the plurality of rotors being coupled to a plurality of electrical generators;
a plurality of machine-side converters (MSCs), wherein each of the plurality of MSCs is coupled to at least two of the plurality of electrical generators and configured to generate direct-current (DC) signals; and
a line-side converter (LSC) coupled to the plurality of MSCs and configured to generate at least one AC signal based on the DC signals.

2. The multi-rotor wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of MSCs is located in a nacelle of a respective rotor of the plurality of rotors; and
the LSC is located in a tower of the multi-rotor wind turbine.

3. The multi-rotor wind turbine of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one switch configured to selectively couple the electrical generators to the plurality of MSCs.

4. The multi-rotor wind turbine of claim 3 , wherein:
the at least one switch is located in a nacelle of a respective rotor of the plurality of rotors; and
the plurality of MSCs are located in a tower of the multi-rotor wind turbine.

5. The multi-rotor wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of MSCs are located in a respective nacelle of the plurality of rotors; and
the LSC is located in a tower of the multi-rotor wind turbine.

6. The multi-rotor wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the LSC is located at a base of a tower of the multi-rotor wind turbine.

7. The multi-rotor wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of MSCs and the LSC are located in a tower of the multi-rotor wind turbine.

8. A wind turbine generator, comprising:
a rotor on which at least one blade is mounted;
a plurality of electrical generators coupled to the rotor;
a plurality of switches, each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of electrical generators at a first end;
a machine-side converter (MSC) coupled to a second end of each of the plurality of switches and configured to generate at least one direct-current (DC) signal; and
a line-side converter (LSC) coupled to the MSC and configured to generate at least one AC signal based on the at least one DC signal.

9. The wind turbine generator of claim 8 , wherein:
the plurality of switches is located in a nacelle of the wind turbine generator; and
the MSC and the LSC are located in a tower of the wind turbine generator.

10. The wind turbine generator of claim 8 , wherein the MSC and the LSC are located in a tower of the wind turbine generator.

11. The wind turbine generator of claim 8 , wherein:
the MSC is located in a nacelle of the wind turbine generator; and
the LSC is located at a base of a tower of the wind turbine generator.

12. A method of assembling an electrical system for a multi-rotor wind turbine, comprising:
coupling a plurality of electrical generators to each rotor of the multi-rotor wind turbine, wherein at least one blade is mounted on each rotor;
coupling each of a plurality of machine-side converters (MSCs) to at least two of the plurality of electrical generators, wherein the plurality of MSCs are configured to generate direct-current (DC) signals; and
coupling a line-side converter (LSC) to the plurality of MSCs; wherein the LSC is configured to generate at least one AC signal based on the DC signals.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising operating at least one switch to selectively couple at least one of the plurality of MSCs to the electrical generators, wherein:
the at least one switch is located in a nacelle of the wind turbine; and
the at least one MSC and the LSC are located in a tower of the wind turbine.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of MSCs and the LSC are located in a tower of the wind turbine.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of MSCs are located in a nacelle of the wind turbine; and
the LSC is located at a base of a tower of the wind turbine.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Trankjær Søren Viisholm
• Helle Lars
• Petersen Torben

Classifications

• H02J2101/28

  Wind energy · CPC title

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• F03D9/255

  connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• H02M5/40

  with intermediate conversion into DC · CPC title